n.
Pronunciation: ' se-m ē - ˌ vau ̇ (- ə )l, ' se- ˌ m ī -, -mi-
Function: noun
Date: 1530
1 : a speech sound (as \ y \ , \ w \ , or \ r \ ) that has the articulation of a vowel but that is shorter in duration and is treated as a consonant in syllabication
2 : a letter representing a semivowel